


Wide Open Spaces

by orphan_account



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Cowboy!Harry, Eventual Smut, F/M, He's hot, cuz why not, ill probably delete right away, lots of fluff, this one is going to suck
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-06
Updated: 2016-02-14
Packaged: 2018-05-12 03:36:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5651086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>McKenna has lived in a small town in North Dakota all her life. Nothing significant has ever happened. At least, not until Harry comes along.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Harry

"Get a job." "Support yourself." "Find a life of your own." "I don't need this." "I don't need you." "I don't want to take care of you anymore." Never in my life did I think I'd hear anyone say those words to me. Let alone, my own mother. Once she shut down the farm, she had no use for me anymore. She had nothing she could make me do. So, here I am. A train station in Fargo, North Dakota. I had found an ad online of a farmer looking for someone to stay at his ranch and help with the farming. He was offering a substantial amount of money and there wasn't any rent to pay. I called the number as soon as I finished reading the ad. That was two weeks ago. Two weeks later, and I'm about to take a 2 hour train ride to Jamestown to meet the man I'll be working for for the foreseeable future. 

"Now boarding for Jamestown!" The voice on the loudspeaker called. I picked up my duffle and slung it over my shoulder. I grabbed the handle of my suitcase and climbed the steps of the train. I found a seat in the back and set my things beside me. The train began moving about 10 minutes after I had settled in. I looked out the window and watched as the building disappeared, only to be replaced with fields upon fields. I grew up in southern Minnesota, working our little family farm. I'll never forget the place and the people. I would miss Louis the most. I've never had a better friend than him. I like to think he misses me too, but Lord knows he has enough to worry about right now. When I brought out of my thoughts of Minnesota, the sun was high in the sky. The soft rays casting down straight into my eyes. It was 5pm when the train stationed in Jamestown. I slung my duffle over my shoulder and wheeled my suitcase behind me. I looked for a blue Chevy Silverado in the small parking lot. There was a man leaning against the front fender of the truck. He looked about 45 and had a graying beard along his chin and above his lips. He was a tan man, probably from working in the sun all day. He had large biceps, as big as I wish mine were. I smiled to myself and walked over to him. 

"Harry Styles?" His voice was strong.

"That's me, sir." I nodded, shaking his hand firmly.

"Please, call me Dave." He smiled, walking to the driver's side of the truck. "Go ahead and put your bags in the bed." I nodded and walked to the back of the truck, tossing my duffle over the tailgate. I lifted my suitcase and tossed it in next to my duffle. I walked to the side of the truck and climbed in the passenger seat. "It's going to take 45 minutes to an hour to get to the house. McKenna and Niall should have dinner done by the time we get there."

"McKenna and Niall?" I asked, putting my seatbelt on.

"McKenna's my niece. More of a daughter than a niece, but that's beside the point. Niall's the neighbor boy. He's been helping around the farm since he was old enough to talk. You'll like him. He's a great kid." Dave pulled out of the parking lot and sped down the street to the highway. "How old are you, son?" He asked, shifting gears.

"19, sir." I looked out the window as we passed a giant buffalo statue. "Was that a buffalo statue?" I asked, watching it get smaller.

"Yeah," Dave chuckled, "it's the world's largest buffalo. You'll have to go visit the frontier village sometime. It's a great day trip. McKenna absolutely loves it there. They have two white buffalo, which is very rare, and you can feed them." I smiled a little, I liked the way he talked about this McKenna. He seemed to be proud of her, and it made me feel proud of her too.

"How old are McKenna and Niall?" I asked, trying to make small talk to pass the time. 

"McKenna turned 19 in March and Niall turned 20 in September." He made a sharp left and I held on to the door handle to keep from falling around. "Where in Minnesota are you from?"

"Uh, Zumbrota. It's a little town nea-"

"I know where Zumbrota is. My wife's family was from Rochester and we used to drive through Zumbrota on our way to see her parents." Dave smiled to himself.

"How long have you been married?" I looked at him, his eyes glossing over.

"We were together 25 years. She passed away last summer from heart cancer." 

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that." I looked down at my hands. "Do you have kids of your own?" 

"No, we never could decide if we wanted any. When McKenna came to us after her mother passed, we got sidetracked. It's kind of hard raising a baby that's not yours and talking about having one of your own." I nodded, looking out the window.

"So, McKenna's a handful?" I joked, smiling softly.

"Oh, you're in for a treat. She's quite sassy when she feels the need to be, but then again, she feels the need to be all the time." Dave laughed softly. I chuckled and looked up at the clear blue sky. "She's a wonderful young woman. She's not afraid of getting dirty, which is good. She's been doing a lot for the farm since she was a toddler. She loves to feed the cows the most. She says they understand her better than any other animal."

"What animals do you keep?" I asked, genuinely curious as to what I'd be dealing with.

"We've got cats and dogs in the house. We have more cats than you can count on two hands, thanks to McKenna's love for the furry little shits. We've got three dogs: Bubbles, Maggie, and Potato. Niall named Potato. He's heavily Irish. At least, his parents are. Anyways, we've got cows, chickens, horses, goats, pigs, the lot. Don't call the pigs 'hogs', it offends McKenna. She thinks they get offended when people call them hogs." I nodded. I could handle that. "Can you drive stick?" 

"Of course." I chuckled. "You can't live on a farm and not know how to drive stick."

"Amen to that." Dave laughed. I liked this guy. Working for him would be fun. We arrived at the [house](http://www.priceypads.com/moon-meadow-ranch-5200000/) a little after 6pm. The house itself was beautiful. The land around it was breathtaking. "Welcome to Chaseley, North Dakota. The land of five people. Me, McKenna, Niall, and his parents." 

"It's beautiful." My jaw was almost on the ground.

"We had it renovated in '06. It was a shack before." Dave got out of the truck and walked to the bed of the truck. I got out and walked back to him. He opened the tailgate and I pulled my bags to me and slung my duffle over my shoulder. Dave grabbed my suitcase for me and we walked up the front steps together. I could faintly hear music playing from inside. "Damn it, McKenna. I set a volume limit for a reason." I followed him inside. He set my suitcase against the wall and walked to the kitchen. I laid my duffle next to the suitcase and walked into the kitchen. She was the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen. She was dancing around the kitchen using the wooden spoon as a microphone. She was belting the lyrics to Top Of The World by Tim McGraw. She set the spoon down and grabbed the boy, I'm assuming who was Niall, by the hands and began dancing with him. She was moving swiftly as he spun her around. She giggled and my heart panged in my chest.

"You're going to make me dizzy, Ni!" She laughed and threw her head back, squeezing her eyes shut. Dave walked over to the stereo and turned the music way down.

"Focus on the meal, please, Kennie." Dave laughed, shaking his head. 

"Dinner is already ready, Davey Poo." McKenna giggled, bringing a pot to the dining room table. 

"Come on, McKenna, it's[ our song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zAThXFOy2c)! We need to dance!" Niall had a thick Irish accent. The first I had ever heard one in real life. McKenna walked over to Niall and held one of his hands, placing her other on his shoulder. He placed his hand on her waist and they began the two step around the large kitchen. They both sang along, their voices melding together. They both had wondrous voices. 

"She's got the voice of an angel, doesn't she?" Dave asked, grinning at me. I grinned back, looking at McKenna and Niall.

"She's incredible."

"She performs every Thursday at The Bradford." He smiled. "Someday, there's gonna be someone with connections there listening to her sing. She'll get the recognition she deserves."

"What's The Bradford?" I inquired. I needed to get to know the town I'd be spending the next few years of my life in.

"Come with us tomorrow night and you'll see. It's in the next town over." I nodded, looking down at my stomach as it grumbled. "Alright, Harry's hungry. Let's eat now, please, McKenna." Dave chuckled, pulling the two away from each other. They made a cute couple, Niall and McKenna. We sat around the table, food being passed around.

"Give me the fucking potatoes, McKenna. My soul depends on them." Niall begged and McKenna giggled.

"I made them, I get my scoop first."

"That's not how it goes, gimme the taters." Niall whined, reaching for them. I watched their interaction closely, getting a feel for their personalities. 

"Give me your plate, and I'll give you your scoop." McKenna looked at Niall straight faced and ready to continue arguing. Niall huffed in defeat and passed her his plate. She gave him a scoop and gave him his plate back. 

"How long have you two been dating?" I asked. McKenna looked at me before breaking out into a shit-eating grin, a loud laugh falling from her pink lips.

"We ain't datin'. I'd never take this one to dinner, she'd eat the entire Pizza Ranch buffet and leave me to starve." Niall laughed, digging in to his potatoes.

"I wouldn't say yes to you anyways, Nialler. You smell funny." She stuck her tongue out at him and he laughed.

"Not as funny as you smell when you come in from feeding the hogs."

"The pigs, Niall! Call them pigs! Hog is so derogatory. They're just pigs." McKenna sighed and grabbed a chicken drumstick. She took a bite of it before handing it to Niall. She grabbed another and set it on her plate.

"You're a hog, yanno that?" Niall rolled his eyes playfully and took a bite of the chicken. The rest of dinner went by in a blur of life questions. Most of them were short answers, a few taking longer to answer. 

"I need to go lock up the chickens and check the calves. McKenna, can you show Harry to his room please?" Dave announced, pulling on a light flannel.

"Yes, sir." McKenna saluted him and put the rest of the dishes in the dishwasher. "Come with me, Harold." She smiled at me.

"Okay... McKennifer." I mentally slapped myself. McKennifer? Jesus, I'm an idiot.

"M-McKennifer?" McKenna took shallow breathes, trying to keep from laughing too hard. 

"I don't know.." I pouted slightly, looking down. "McKenna sounds like Jenna, which is short for Jennifer, so McKennifer." I reasoned. 

"That.. That actually makes sense. Nice one." She smiled and lead me down the hallway to my new bedroom. "I hope you don't mind how girly it looks. We can always redecorate eventually." 

"It'll be fine. It's not like I need the manliest room." I smiled and set my things on the floor. 

"My room is literally right across the hall if you need anything. Have a great night, Harold." McKenna smiled and began walking to her room.

"You too, McKennifer."

***

I woke up around 8 the next morning, something warm and fuzzy between my legs. I lifted the blanket and looked down. There were two cats nuzzled between my legs. One was a silvery gray and the other a calico. I looked up as I saw McKenna walk past my room. "Hey, McKenna?" I called out. She backtracked and looked at me.

"Yes, Harry?" She asked, leaning against the doorframe.

"There's some cats cuddling between my legs." I looked down at them again, the calico meowing softly.

"Calico and gray cat?" She asked and I nodded. "Calico is Grape and the gray one is Tequila. They seek warmth and comfort. If you leave your door open, they'll come in and sleep with you. Fred, the orange tabby, will sleep next to your head if he's not in my room. He loves to be held like a child and he's a total suck up. If you bring out milk, he's next to you in a heartbeat." McKenna giggled.

"Where is he now?" I asked. 

"Last I saw him, he was stealing Niall's bowl of cereal." I chuckled and petted the cats between my legs. "Dave wanted me to show you around the farm today, is that alright?" 

"Yeah, definitely. Just let me get dressed." I smiled at her softly. She smiled back and turned to walk down the hall. I got up carefully, as to not disturb the cats. I closed my door and stripped out of my pajamas. I put on my clothes for the day and headed to the kitchen. After I ate, McKenna took me around the farm. We started with the garages. They held the most important tractors, or the ones that were used the most often. There were also 4 trucks in the garage. All the same kind, just different colors. I knew right away which one was McKenna's. The bright orange truck with painted handprints all over it. Next we went through the chicken coops, she instructed me on how to collect eggs properly and which chickens to leave alone. We went to the barn next, where I was introduced to three more cats: Furball, Baby, and Mr. Pickles. After the barn, she took me out to the heifer pasture. She introduced me to every single cow, all by name. Next, the stables. There as well, I was introduced to the three horses, all by name: Roscoe, Prince, and Chip.

"I'll show you the pigs next, but you can't call them hogs or I'll shove you in the mud." McKenna smiled innocently at me and I laughed softly. 

"I won't, I promise." I smiled and walked with her to the pigs. They were all asleep. After the pigs, she took me to see the goats. We both sat in with the goats for a good 20 minutes. They were all energetic and very aggressive. I probably had 14 bruises on my leg from only 10 minutes. The tour took until lunchtime. Niall made us all eat leftovers so we'd be more excited for The Bradford's dinner. 

We left for The Bradford at 6pm. McKenna was performing at 7:30. She wouldn't tell any of us what she was singing, but we all knew she'd be wonderful. When we arrived, Niall pulled me to the bar right away. "Oh, I'm not legal to drink yet." I told him, sitting next to him.

"No one said anything about drinking. You just have to meet someone." Niall smiled at me and leaned over the bar, grabbing a bell. He flicked his wrist, the bell dinging softly.

"I'm coming, Niall!" A soft voice spoke from behind the doors. A figure emerged seconds later. He was a very attractive man, to say the least. I'm straight as can be, but this man was gorgeous.

"Harry, meet the sexiest man alive. This is Zayn Malik, also known as the Bradford Badboi." Niall grinned.

"Hello, Zayn." I smiled.

"Zayn, this is Harry. He's Dave's new farmhand." Niall introduced.

"Welcome to the shittiest place on Earth." Zayn grinned at me and I laughed lightly.

"It's not that bad."

"Zayn's from Bradford, England. That's why this place is called The Bradford." Niall explained to me.

"Oh, you own the place?" I asked, looking at Zayn.

"No, my boyfriend does. He just named it for me." Zayn grinned sheepishly.

"Hey, where is ol' Liam?" Niall asked, looking around.

"He's in the back doing some bullshit with the schedule." Zayn rolled his eyes. "We ask for workers to give us the times they can work and then they complain when we schedule them during those times."

"Tell 'im to leave it be and come meet Harry." Niall smiled and patted my shoulder, harder than I expected. Zayn walked through the doors, leaving Niall and I alone once more. I glanced at the clock. 7:27pm. McKenna would be on soon. "You excited to hear Mac sing? She is, without a doubt, the best singer I've ever seen live." Niall grinned.

"You're pretty good too, you know." I smiled at him.

"Who me? No way." Niall blushed lightly and I grinned. "I've done duets with Mac before, but she never gets as high reviews with me as she does when she's alone."

"Well, I think you're both incredible singers." I smiled. Zayn came back out to us, a muscular man with him.

"Liam, this is Dave Young's new farmhand, Harry. Harry, this is the luckiest man in the world, Zayn's boyfriend." Niall grinned.

"But, you can call me Liam." 

"Pleasure to meet you, Liam." I smiled at him.

"Hey! Everybody shut the fuck up! McKenna Young is about to perform!" Niall yelled as McKenna walked onto the small stage, guitar in hand. She giggled softly and took a seat on the stool.

"Thanks, Niall." She smiled at him. "Tonight's song, I've been trying to perfect for a while now. It was the first song I ever learned on the guitar. So, here it is. This is [Wide Open Spaces](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dom7VlltBUc)." I watched as McKenna and the band behind her began playing. Her voice floated through the room, majestic and strong. Niall hummed along beside me and I grinned to myself, wondering, is there a hidden meaning as to why she first learned this song and why she waited until she perfected it?


	2. McKenna

I finished my set and walked to the back, setting my guitar in it's case. I took off my stage boots and put on my converse. I walked out to everyone as they sat at the bar. "Good evening everyone." I smiled, taking a seat next to Niall.

"You did amazing up there, Mac. As always." Niall grinned and pressed a kiss to my cheek.

"Thank you, Niall." I smiled, looking at Liam and Zayn. "Sneak me a beer?" I batted my eyelashes up at them.

"Not happening, Mac. You remember what happened last time. Dave nearly skinned us." Zayn chuckled, wiping down the counter behind him. I rolled my eyes and took the bottle of water from Liam. I took a sip and glanced down at Harry. His lips twitched into a smile as the only woman in town who was known for how many people she had slept with in one night. Only Hannah would be that woman. I could see Harry's dimples peeking out as she talked to him. I rolled my eyes and looked up at Niall.

"Come dance with me, Niall." I grabbed his hand before he could reply. I pulled him with me to the dancefloor, squeezing his hand. He placed his hand on my waist and pulled me in close.

"This doesn't have anything to do with Harry talking to Hannah, does it?" He whispered in my ear before leading us through the two-step. I huffed and he lifted our hands, spinning me under them. "They're just talking. And besides, you're so much prettier than her." I laughed and spun back.

"You're a smooth talking son of a gun, aren't you, Horan?" I smiled up at him and placed my hand back on his shoulder.

"You know I am, that's how I got myself a job on your farm." I laughed softly and danced with him, pressing closer.

It felt like hours passed before we made it back home. Harry had decided to go home with Hannah, of course. Hannah and I had always been rivals, ever since she put a handful of roly-polies in my lunch box in elementary school. By middle school we were competing for the same boys, who now look like trainwrecks. In high school, we were both on the cheerleading squad. We were co-captains and that just strengthened the feud. We'd always try to out cheer each other during games and it got to the point where we weren't allowed to cheer together anymore. "McKenna?" Niall waved his hand in front of my face.

"Sorry, what?" I looked up at his piercing blue eyes.

"I said I'll see you in the morning. I'll be in to check the heifers in the morning. Save me some breakfast." He kissed my cheek and jogged out to his truck. I smiled and closed the front door, not bothering to lock it. With six people in a town, there weren't a lot of people who would try and break in. I walked down the hall to my room, the hardwood floors cool against my bare feet. I closed my bedroom door behind me and walked over to the corner where my guitar sat. I picked it up and sat on the floor, my back in the corner. I began strumming, working out a few chords. I fell asleep in the corner and awoke to the sound of footsteps in the hallway. I looked at the clock on my nightstand. 3:24 am. I got up and opened my door slowly, coming face to face with Harry.

"Oh, it's you." I sighed, opening the door fully.

"Were you expecting someone else? You probably thought I was a robber, or something. You really should lock your door."

"We have never locked that door and I don't think we're going to start now. How was your time with Hannah?" I crossed my arms and leaned against the doorframe.

"We didn't do anything, if that's what you're getting at. She wanted to fuck, I wanted to talk. She kicked me out after accusing me of being your spy. Whatever that means." He crossed his arms, mirroring me.

"It's a long story, and quite frankly, it's a pathetic one."

"I'd like to hear it, I'm not tired right now." Harry inquired, looking into my eyes.

"Not here." I whispered and walked down the hallway. Harry followed me, the pads of his feet sticking to the floors as he walked. I opened the door to the basement. "Down the stairs and to the left, there will be a light switch." Harry nodded and walked down the carpeted stairs. He found the light switch and flipped it on. I closed the door behind me as I walked down the stairs.

"We're going to talk down here?" He asked, looking around. The basement was Dave's old fun room. He had his ping-pong table, airhockey table, and pinball machine set around. There was a bar and a large stereo. Back in the haydays of Dave's youth, he would throw massive parties in the basement. Of course, not many people came, but they were fun all together.

"You any good at ping-pong?" I smirked, picking up two paddles. He rolled his eyes playfully and took a paddle from my hand.

"I'll serve." He grabbed the ball and stood on his side of the table. "Storytime, babe. Start at the beginning."

"She put roly-polies in my lunch box in 3rd grade." Harry laughed and served the ball to me. I spiked it back at him and it went flying off the table. "It's not funny. They were in my sandwich. I didn't have any lunch money so I went hungry that day."

"Alright, I'm sorry. It's not funny. Why did she do it?" He picked up the ball and served it again.

"She was mad that I was line leader." I hit the ball back to him.

"So, you have a feud because of a roly-poly sandwich?"

"Not only that. In 7th grade, she made out with my boyfriend and said he asked her to." We had a good volley going before he hit the ball too hard, causing it to fly out of bounds.

"You had a boyfriend in 7th grade? No surprise there." 

"Rude." I laughed and picked up the ball. "Anyways, that's not all. In 8th grade, I dipdyed my hair blue and she did hers purple and everyone thought I was copying her, even though I did mine first and better."

"Wow, such a rivalry." He laughed. I rolled my eyes and served the ball. "Can we play airhockey now? I've been eyeing that table since we got down here."

"Yeah, fine." I set the paddle down on the table and bent over to plug in the airhockey table. I let out a small squeak as I felt Harry's cool hands on my sides. "What are you doing?" I turned my head and looked back at him.

"Oh, nothing." His lips twitched into a smirk, his dimples popping out. I stood up and turned around so I was facing him. Harry's hands stayed where they were on my hips. His eyes darted to my lips and back to my eyes.

"If you're thinking about kissing me, just do it." I whispered. His arms snaked around my back as he pulled me closer to his chest. He ducked his head down and captured my lips between his. I slid my hands up his chest and to his cheeks, our lips slotting together. He dipped his hands down to my thighs and lifted my legs so they were perched on his hips. He set me down on the airhockey table, our lips not disconnecting. His tongue slid past my lips as I breathed him in. My heart began beating faster. His lips left mine and traveled down my neck. I brought my hands back to his cheeks and pulled his face back up to mine. I pressed my lips back to his. 

"McKenna?" I pulled back. "Harry?" I looked up toward the stairs where Dave was standing, eyes wide with rage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this took so long to get written and published. I've been crazy busy. My dad passed away recently and the funeral was just last week. Hopefully I get more of this story written and published soon, or maybe I'll just delete it.


	3. Harry

I pulled away from McKenna as I heard Dave's voice. I turned and faced him, his eyes full of rage. His rough hands gripped my collar as he held me against the wall. "If I see you so much as look at her, I will not hesitate to bring out the shotgun. I hired you to work the farm, not fucking try and get in my nieces pants." I opened my mouth to defend myself, but McKenna beat me to it.

"Stop it, this isn't his fault. I wanted it," McKenna pleaded. "We're both adults, we can make our own choices."

"You don't get to talk, McKenna. I promised your mother and your aunt that I'd take care of you. This boy is nothing but a troublemaker." I let out a deep breath, trying to keep myself calm. 

"I'm not a troublemaker. I care about her." I grabbed Dave's wrists to get them off of me. 

"Just let him go!" McKenna begged, trying to push Dave away from me. He let go of my collar and shoved my back against the wall. She wedged herself between us and wrapped her arms around my neck. I slung my arm around her waist and rubbed her back. 

"I don't want anything to form between you two. This is strictly business. Friendship is fine, but I want nothing beyond that, understood?" I nodded and kept my arm around McKenna. "Now get to bed, both of you." I hesitantly let go of McKenna, squeezing her hip softly as I walked up the stairs. I heard McKenna and Dave talking still, but I didn't listen. I walked down the hall to my room, slamming the door behind me. I wasn't a troublemaker. I was just trying to get by. I rubbed my face and pulled my shirt off. I laid in my bed and pulled the blankets over my head, not bothering to turn the lights off. 

When I awoke, it was to the sounds of truck horns honking. I looked to clock to see that it was only 6:30am. I looked out the window as a large semi truck pulled into the driveway. Trailing behind the semi, was my truck. "My baby." I grinned and quickly pulled on my flannel. I ran out to the driveway where the truck driver was getting out of the cab. 

"I've got a truck delivery for a Mister Harry Styles?" He read from a clipboard.

"Yes, sir, that's me." I grinned and shook his hand. 

"Everything's all paid up and there's a full tank of gas in 'er. Keys are in the ignition."

"Thank you, sir." I grinned and walked around to the back of the semi. The driver followed me and unhooked my truck. He didn't say another word as he got back in the cab and backed out of the driveway. He drove off with a slight head nod and a two finger wave. 

"Harry? What are you doing out here?" I turned to face Dave as he stood on the porch. 

"My truck just got here." I stated firmly, as to not provoke him. After last night, I was weary of what I should say around him. 

"You can park it next to the shed." He nodded and walked down the gravel driveway to the barn. I get in my truck and rubbed my hands along the material of the steering wheel.

"I've missed you." I smiled and turned the key in the ignition, the truck roaring to life. I checked the gas gauge to make sure she was full. I pulled into the small area next to the shed. I jumped slightly as the passenger side door opened. 

"Morning, Harold." McKenna smiled and slid onto the passenger seat. "This is a magnificent truck you've got here. It's a good thing you have a Chevy, we don't allow Fords on our property."

"Why's that?" I inquired.

"They're bad guy cars. That's what my aunt used to say. I think she says that because my father drove a Ford." She shrugged and turned around to look at the backseat. "Nice leather seats, this truck is very clean. How do you do it?" 

"Easy. No eating in the truck, all trash must go in this box," I held up the small cardboard box. "And, I vacuum her once a week."

"Someone loves their truck a little too much." McKenna giggled and turned back around.

"She was a present from Louis' parents."

"Who's Louis?" McKenna smiled.

"He was my best friend back in Minnesota. He's in college now. I think you'd like him. He's very entertaining."

"Well, maybe someday I'll be able to meet him." She giggled and turned to the open door as a dog put it's front legs on her thighs. "Get off of me, Maggie! Why the fuck do you always do this!" She pushed Maggie's feet off of her. "Go get a stick or something and leave me alone, you're annoying as hell."

"If she's so annoying, why do you have her?" I turned the truck off and got out, leaving the door open so I could talk to McKenna.

"My aunt wanted her. The creepy guy down the street who doesn't know what a shirt is gave us Bubbles and Maggie. Deena can't say no to dogs." McKenna got out of the truck and closed the door. "Have you met Bubbles and Potato yet?"

"I haven't, I've just heard them barking." I closed my door and pocketed the keys. 

"Come on, I'll introduce you." She smiled and started walking to the barn. Her legs were all tanned up and her shorts cupped the curve of her ass perfectly. I stayed behind her as we walked. A very fat dog jogged over to me as soon as we entered the long barn. "That's Potato. She's Niall's baby. And this is Bubbles, she's very shy." McKenna smiled. I returned the smile and rubbed my hand along Potato's back.

"Did Niall know she was going to end up looking like a potato?" I laughed and McKenna scoffed playfully.

"You're so mean. She's just chunky."

"Yeah, like a baked potato." I laughed. She rolled her eyes and rubbed Bubbles' ears. McKenna's head tilted up and she examined the ceiling, visibly shuddering. "What are you looking at?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"Spider webs. We get some really nasty looking spiders in here. You know, the ones with the super big body-butt."

"What's a body-butt?" I laughed and stepped closer to her to look at the ceiling. 

"They only have two body parts, unlike insects that have three. So they have a body-butt. A 2-in-1." She pointed up at a web with a spider nestled in. "One of those fuckers." It began dropping lower on a string of silk and McKenna screeched before running out of the barn. I laughed and followed her out. 

"Are you scared of spiders?" I asked, covering my mouth as I chuckled.

"Shut up, they're scary." She pouted. "I wouldn't say I'm scared of them, but I have a very strong distaste for them. I despise them."

"How do you live on a farm? Spiders are everywhere."

"Don't remind her, that makes it worse." I looked to my left to see Dave leaning against a metal fence. "Deena used to catch them and release them outside when they got inside, and it drove Mac crazy."

"Well, yeah. I wanted them dead. I don't want those things anywhere near me." She crossed her arms and huffed. She was so cute. 

"She doesn't go up in the hayloft anymore because we've got a few hundred of those big ones up there." Dave chuckled. "She used to make Furball come down to her if she wanted to see him."

"Oh, Furball. I do miss him, very much." McKenna sighed and looked up at the opening of the hayloft door.

"What happened to him?" I asked, almost regretting the decision when I saw the tears well up in McKenna's eyes. 

"We don't really know. He disappeared one day and we think he ran off to die. That's what many of the cats out here do." She smiled sadly at me. 

"At least he's not suffering here." I tried to comfort her without touching her. 

"Yeah, it was better than watching Kramer die. I still haven't gotten over that and it was 3 years ago." 

"Well, you've still got more cats here than you can count, so I'd say you're in good hands. Or should I say, good paws." I bit my lip to keep from laughing at my own joke.

"You're fired. Pack your bags and get off my property." McKenna said with a straight face. I widened my eyes, thinking she was serious. She must have sensed my panic because she began laughing. "I'm kidding, just no more jokes. You're terrible at telling them."

"I bet Niall would love my jokes."

"I love everything. Why are we all standing outside the barn?" Niall walked over to us, holding a bowl of cereal.

"There was a big body-butted spider and McKenna got scared." I smirked slightly.

"Oh man, do I have some spider stories for you." Niall laughed. He set his bowl down on the driveway before sitting next to it. "One day, I'd say she was maybe 7 years old, she was brushing her teeth in the dining room so she could keep up the conversation and all of a sudden," he stopped to take a bite of his cereal. He continued once he swallowed, "she dropped her toothbrush on the floor and starts screaming." He laughed. "And there was Fred pawing at a daddy long legs on the wall. The funniest thing I've ever seen." He laughed and took another bite.

"That was so not funny." McKenna huffed and crossed her arms. "You're all rude and I'm going inside." She began walking away and I couldn't stop my eyes from falling to her ass. I quickly averted my eyes as Dave cleared his throat. He gave me a look as if to say "strike one." 

"Okay, something happened last night and I'm out of the loop. Someone spill." Niall crossed his arms.

"I kissed McKenna." I sighed. 

"Did she kiss back, or push you away?" Niall asked. 

"She kissed back."

"Then, what's the big deal? You're both adults." Niall rolled his eyes.

"The big deal is I hired Harry to work the far not manhandle my niece. I don't care if they like each other, McKenna's not mature enough to know about love and relationships." Dave crossed his arms and glared at me.

"Whatever." I huffed and walked toward the house. I wasn't going to argue with Dave, after all, he was the one paying me. I didn't want to lose my job right away. I walked into the house and walked down the hall to my bedroom. I closed the door and grabbed my clothes for the day. I walked to the bathroom and locked the door behind me. I took a quick shower and got dressed before walking out to the kitchen for breakfast.  

"Mac, you're burning the eggs!" Niall cried.

"No, I'm not, Niall! They're cooking!" McKenna rolled her eyes.

"I don't want black eggs, thank you very much." Niall huffed and pushed McKenna away from the stove. 

"I swear you two are married." I laughed and leaned against the doorframe.

"If that's the case, I want a divorce." Niall laughed and cooked the eggs. 

"Already signed." McKenna stuck her tongue out at Niall and picked up an orange tabby cat. "Me and Fred are going to go take a shower. You two enjoy your eggs."

"You're taking the cat in the shower with you?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Not in the shower, just the bathroom. He's my bathroom buddy. Whenever I'm in the bathroom, he's in there with me." She smiled and kissed Fred's head. 

"She used to take him in there because he'd kill the spiders for her, but now it's just because she's lonely without him." Niall laughed.

"Well, someone has to kill the spiders for me. Even though Fred doesn't kill the spiders anymore. He just ignores them."

"That sucks for you, you'll have to deal with spiders yourself. Now go shower, we've got a lot to do today." McKenna stuck up her middle finger at Niall and walked down the hall to the bathroom. "So, you kissed Mac, did you? How did you like that?"

"I liked it very much, actually. Until we were interrupted." I sighed and set the plates on the table. 

"But didn't you leave with Hannah last night?" Niall set the pan on the table along with the salt and pepper.

"Yeah, but she wanted to fuck and I didn't."

"That's all Hannah wants to do. Has McKenna told you the story of their little feud?" Niall and I sat at the table and served ourselves.

"Yeah, she told me last night after I came home. I don't think she told me all of it, but I guess there's a lot to it."

"It's an ongoing story. Hannah got McKenna arrested a few weeks back for 'spreading lies'."

"What kind of lies?" I asked and shoveled a forkful of eggs into my mouth.

"Lies about the feud. Lies that were actually the truth." Niall shrugged. I was about to reply when I heard McKenna scream from the bathroom. "I'll bet you money she saw a spider."

"Shouldn't one of us go help her?"

"Nah, she's a big girl. She'll just cry until it goes back in it's hole."

"Then it'll come back and scare her again." I stood up and walked down the hall to the bathroom. I knocked on the door. "Hey, McKenna, are you alright?"

"It's one of the big body-butts and it's on my bra!" 

"Okay, cover yourself up and unlock the door. I'll get rid of it." There was shuffling from the other side of the door and the doorknob jiggled as McKenna unlocked the door. I opened the door and walked in. "Where is it?" I asked, looking at McKenna.

"There." She pointed to her bra on the floor where there was a large spider in the middle of the cup. I grabbed a tissue and picked up the spider out of her bra. I grabbed a couple more tissues and squished the spider in them. I threw them away and looked at McKenna.

"All gone." I smiled. She threw her arms around my neck and hugged me tight.

"Oh, thank you, Harry!" I grinned and wrapped my arms around her waist.

"Anything, for you." I whispered in her ear softly. She pecked my lips softly and smiled sweetly. "I better get back to Niall, he might think we're doing more than killing spiders."

"We could be." McKenna giggled and tugged the ends of my hair.

"Meet me outside your window tonight." I whispered in her ear and let her go. I kissed her cheek and walked back to Niall, where he had eaten the last of the eggs.

"You took too long, I was hungry."

"You already had a bowl of cereal too." I laughed and picked up my plate that was now empty.

"I said, I was hungry."

"I get a portion of your dinner tonight to make up for this." I put my plate in the sink and rinsed it. 

After the day's work had been finished and dinner had been eaten, we all sat around the table with a deck of cards. "You ever played Pinochle, Harry?" Niall asked as he shuffled the deck.

"Once or twice." I sipped my water.

"Well, it's a regular activity here. At least, it was before Deena passed. You need at least four players and after she left, we were down to three." Niall explained, suddenly saddened. As if the fact that there were now enough players again finally made it sink in that Deena was gone. 

"Alright, let's play, shall we?" Dave asked, clearing his throat. Niall nodded and dealt the cards.

"Alright, Harry, you'll be McKenna's partner. Bidding starts at 25, we pass three cards on the bid, losers have to bathe the ho-" McKenna cut Niall off.

"The pigs, Niall."

"The pigs, fine. Losers bathe the pigs." Niall huffed and picked up his cards. "Ropes go Ace, 10, King, Queen, Jack; Queen of Spades and Jack of Diamonds makes a Pinochle; one of each, except for 10's, are game; King and Queen of the same suit is a marriage; and 9's of trump are game." Niall explained. "Mac, you're first."

"Open." She smiled and turned to Dave.

"26."

"Pass." I muttered, still organizing my cards.

"Pass." McKenna and Dave battled it out for a while until Dave passed. 

"Clubs are trump." McKenna declared, looking at me.

"Pick a different suit." I huffed, looking at my hand. All I had of Clubs were a Jack, 10, and a 9. I pulled them out and passed them to her. I picked up the cards she passed back and sorted them in my hand. 

"You're the worst Pinochle player I've ever had as a partner." She huffed and slunk back in her seat.

"Please, go set." Niall laughed and began laying down his meld. I laid down two marriages and a Pinochle. McKenna had 40 Jacks and two 9's. We played the hand and were two short of making it. The game itself lasted 17 hands. When it came down to the score, McKenna and I had 109 and Dave and Niall had 328. 

"Looks like you're bathing the pigs tomorrow." Dave chuckled. "Better get some good, long sleep tonight. They're a handful."

"Genevieve won't be a problem, she loves being bathed." McKenna stated as she gathered up the cards and put them back in the box. Niall stood up and grabbed his keys.

"I'll see y'all in the mornin'. Bright and early as always." He kissed McKenna's cheek and shook Dave's hand. He ruffled my hair and walked out of the dining room.

"Do we really have to bathe the pigs?" I asked as I stood up.

"Yes, that's the deal. Always has been, always will be." Dave smiled. He gave McKenna a hug and kissed the top of her head. She smiled and set the cards on the bread table. 

"Goodnight, Dave." She smiled and looked at me, smiling softly. "Goodnight, Harry." McKenna sauntered down the hallway, her bare feet padding along the hardwood floors. 

"Goodnight, sir." I nodded to Dave and walked down the hall to my room. I walked in and closed the door, sitting on my bed. I waited until all sounds had ceased in the house before I got up. I stepped out of my bedroom and looked both ways down the hallway before walking out the door. I walked to my truck and got in, turning the key in the ignition. I watched the house as the engine roared to life. No signs of anyone hearing showed, so I drove over to the side of the house by McKenna's window. I got out and leaned against my truck, watching her shadow move in the light of the window. I picked up a chew toy and threw it at her window. She moved the curtains aside and opened her window.

"Will you calm down, I'm coming." She laughed softly and slung her guitar case over her shoulder and climbed out of her window. She walked over to me and pressed her lips against mine. I let my hands rest on her hips as I kissed her. She pulled back slowly and looked up at me, her grey eyes shining in the moonlight. "Let's go." She pecked my lips and got in the truck, putting her seatbelt on. I got in the driver's seat and pulled out of the driveway. I drove down the gravel road and turned into a field a few miles down. My hand left the steering wheel and picked up hers. 

"You've got small hands." I commented, running my thumb along the back of her hand.

"Shut up, I do not." She huffed and pulled her hand from mine. "Now you don't get to hold it."

"oh, come on. Don't be like that." I laughed and reached over for her hand.

"No, you lost your hand holding privilege." McKenna crossed her arms and looked out the window. I rolled my eyes playfully and drove on. I parked when we came to a short river, maybe only a mile long. "How did you find this place?" She whispered, staring at the river. 

"When Niall and I came out to bring the cows back, I noticed it. And I wanted you to be the one I saw it with." I smiled and got out of my truck. I walked to the bed and grabbed a blanket. I laid it out on the sand and looked back at McKenna. "Aren't you coming?" I asked. She nodded and walked over to me. 

"I haven't been out here in forever." She smiled and sat down on the blanket with her guitar. I sat next to her and leaned back on my elbows. 

"Are you going to play me something?" I asked, looking into her eyes. 

"I was thinking about it." McKenna looked out at the river, her eyes gleaming just as the moon shines off the water. "I wrote something and I wanted some feedback."

"I'd love to hear it." I grinned, laying on my side. She smiled softly and pulled her guitar from it's case. She took a deep breath and began [playing](https://youtu.be/g8mQmwrFEEw). She began to sing, her voice drifting through the quiet night air. I watched as her fingers moved on the guitar. My eyes drifted to her lips as she sang. Her eyes shut as she hummed softly. She dropped her hand to the sand as she played the last note, her eyes slowly opening. I caught her eyes with mine and reached out to move her guitar aside. "McKenna.." I started.

"Don't." She shook her head. "I know what you're going to say." She looked down, dragging her fingers along the blanket. I placed my hands on her waist and pulled her onto my lap.

"That song was beautiful, Mac." I rubbed her hips softly and looked into her eyes. 

"You want to know where I got the inspiration, but I don't think you're ready for that conversation yet." She whispered, bringing her hands to my cheeks. 

"You don't have to tell me yet. You can tell me when you're comfortable with it. When you're ready, I'll be ready." 

"Kiss me. Please." I leaned in, lightly brushing my lips against hers. She moved so her knees were on either side of my hips and pressed her lips harder against mine. I moved my hands down to the curve of her ass and pulled her closer. Her lips parted and she let out short puffs of breath. I took the opportunity to slip my tongue between her pink lips. Her hands moved to my hair and she tugged at the ends. I slipped my hands up the front of her black tanktop, pushing it up.

"May I?" I asked softly, not wanting to ruin the moment we had created. She nodded and I pulled the tanktop up and off her body, her skin glowing in the moonlight. I pressed my lips to hers again and trailed my fingers down her spine and back up to the clasp of her bra. I slowly pulled the ends apart, letting the straps drift down her shoulders as she became exposed to me. "You're so beautiful, McKenna." I breathed deeply, cupping her breasts in my larger hands. I squeezed them and bit my lip as McKenna gasped softly.

"Harry.." She moaned softly and tugged at my hair. I breathed through my nose harshly, reveling in the feeling of her hands in my hair. I moved my hands from her breasts and captured her nipple in my mouth. She gasped and ground her hips against mine. I smirked against her skin and began to suck on her bud. I sucked harder, flicking my tongue over it. "Harry, that feels so good." McKenna moaned. 

"You're so, so beautiful." I rolled us over and laid McKenna down on her back. I pulled my shirt over my head and McKenna's eyes scanned my torso. 

"You have tattoos." Her hands traced the outline of the birdcage on my ribs. "What do they mean?" She looked up at me, blue eyes blazing.

"Nothing, really. I just kind of decided to get them. Louis and I get pretty stupid when we're together and we've been sneaking alcohol."

"Such a rebel." She pulled me down and kissed me. Her lips slipping against mine in a heated mix. I slid my hands down her stomach and unbuttoned her jean shorts. I pulled them down slowly, watching them fall down her smooth legs. She kicked them to the side and brought her fingers back to my hair. "I hope you brought some condoms, because I'm not risking a pregnancy right now."

"You think I wouldn't bring them?" I chuckled and grabbed a few from my pocket. I pressed my lips to hers once more, pulling her thong down. 

"You're wearing too many clothes, Harry. Get them off." Her lips found my neck and she began biting and sucking. I moaned her name softly and pushed my jeans down my legs. Her hand trailed down my chest and my stomach to the hem of my boxers. She dipped her fingers beneath the elastic and pulled them down. "Fuck, I am so ready for this." McKenna giggled, her hand rubbing my thigh.

"We'll get there, baby, don't worry." I grabbed a condom and ripped open the package. McKenna took the condom from me and rolled it on. I bit my lip and bucked my hips slightly. "Are you comfortable?" I asked, spreading her legs farther.

"Yes, Harry. Fuck me." I held her hands in mine and pushed myself in slowly. McKenna's back arched off the blanket and she moaned softly, squeezing her eyes shut.

"Open your eyes, princess. I want to see you." I moaned and pushed in deeper. Her eyes opened, the blue almost as bright as the moon. I thrusted slowly, rubbing her hands with my thumbs. "So beautiful." I peppered kisses along her jaw and thrusted faster. 

"You feel so good, Harry." McKenna moaned, squeezing my hands. I groaned and pulled out almost all the way before thrusting back in harder, my hips hitting McKenna's. Her moans became louder and more high pitched.

"Fuck, McKenna." I moaned louder, bringing one hand down to her clit. I began rubbing in slow circles and her hips bucked up to meet mine.

"Harry!" She gasped, moaning louder. Her back arched off the blanket and her arms looped around my neck. "Don't stop."

"Wasn't planning on it." I grunted and sped up my thrusts. I rubbed her clit in fast circles as I thrusted into her faster and harder. Her hips sputtered and thighs quaked. 

"Harry, fuck!" She cried out in pleasure, digging her nails into my shoulder as she came around me. I gripped her hips tightly and held her hips flush against mine as I came into the condom. Her breathing came out in short puffs. "That was.."

"Incredible? Fantastic? The best sex you've ever had?" I chuckled and pulled out of her slowly.

"Yes, yes, and yes." She giggled breathlessly and grabbed her bra and underwear. I grinned and tied off the condom, putting it in the cardboard box in my truck. I put on my boxers and watched McKenna as she dressed. "I can feel you staring."

"It's hard not to when you're that beautiful." I smirked and pulled my jeans up.

"Shut up, Harold." She laughed and blushed. I pulled my shirt over my head and checked the time. 

"We should probably head back, it's late." I came up behind her and wrapped my arms around her waist. "Unless you had other ideas?" I kissed below her ear and she hummed in content. 

"I do have one idea." She smirked.

"And what might that be?" She took my arms and removed them from her body. 

"This," she smirked, pushing me into the river. 

"McKenna!" I laughed, looking at her from where I sat in the water. "Come help me up." She waded into the water and held her hands out to me. I took her hands in mine and pulled her down into the water. She screamed and laughed, pushing me away.

"That was so cliche, how did I fall for that?" She giggled and pressed her lips to mine lightly. Her lips stayed on mine for a long time that night, only briefly parting for air. 

**Author's Note:**

> Chaseley is a real place in ND. It's where I spend every summer of my life. It's my second home. Do some research if you're interested in this type of setting. It's a beautiful place for people who like nature.


End file.
